Ahhh, the digital nomad lifestyle. I have been working online since 1992 when I bought my first laptop. It was an Apple ‘Powerbook’ which was big and chunky, and I still have it. Back then though, no-one knew what a ’digital nomad’ was, or even knew the name. What I was, was a travel writer who travelled the world writing stories and having them published mostly in magazines and newspapers. 

The whole concept of being a digital nomad has changed immensely since I first started using a laptop while travelling. Nowadays, you wake up when you want, work from your laptop from anywhere in the world and make money doing it to fund your lifestyle. Whether you’re already a digital nomad or dreaming of becoming one, this article will provide some very useful advice and tips from my years of living a location independent lifestyle. Here are my best 9 tips and ideas for mastering life as a digital nomad so you not only succeed, but thrive.

How My Digital Nomad Life Started

For me, I started my first website in 1993 to sell my travel guide Live Work and Play in London and the UK. On this website I had various pages with the latest working holiday visa information and a page called ‘Pack Yack – Tales from the Road’. Here, I would put travel stories. Unknowingly, I was blogging! How funny, when I look back now. And suddenly, what I have been doing for the past 30 years has a name – Digital Nomad. So I do feel I am qualified to write this blog post to help you start your journey and master your life as a digital nomad.

Every digital nomad’s journey is different. Being able to work online from anywhere in the world is just amazing. I am afforded the flexibility to make my own hours to make money so I can continue to travel. But it hasn’t all been a bed of roses. Myself and many of my travel blogging friends have found it hard to adjust at times. Trying to find the right work/life balance can be a struggle as I’ve thrown a partner and kids into the mix, but once found, life can be wonderful. 

The following 9 tips for mastering life as a digital nomad have helped me to find my perfect work / life balance as I travel and work abroad. And I hope they will help you too.

9 Best Tips for Mastering the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

1. Don’t Quit Your Job Straight Away

I know you want to, and I wanted to also. But don’t quit your job straight away to dive into the life of being a digital nomad or remote worker. While some people may suggest you throw caution to the wind, it is much smarter to work out a plan first. A business in general usually take at least 12 months to start turning a profit, and some can take years! What most digital nomads do is start a side hustle first based on their plan. For me, this plan involved working for 12 months in my job in the bank to save $10,000 to cover my expenses when I started travelling. While I worked during the day, I worked on my side hustle, travel writing, at night. After 12 months, I left my job in the bank and began writing full-time. Financially things were tight. I stayed in hostels and worked from my bunk bed or a coffee shop, though wifi was unreliable in those early days!

This digital nomad life wasn’t a bed of roses but I persevered and it is now paying off. As well as having your business plan, have a plan of where you want to be. I mean, which country or countries do you see yourself living and working in? Know which countries have a digital nomad visa. Having a clear plan, and with a business that is hopefully making money, you can enjoy life as a digital nomad rather than being stressed about how you can afford to be where you are. So don’t quit your job – yet!

2. Differentiate Clearly Between Work and Travel

One of the hardest things about being a digital nomad or working remotely is that you can spend way too much time enjoying your travels. You might be going out each day to different sights, while also enjoying the new foods and meeting the locals. All this can impact on your work time. To ensure you get your work done, you must be able to differentiate clearly between your work and your travel. The best thing to do is create a strict calendar or diary. This will ensure you get everything done. If you looked at my calendar you might see – Marketing Monday, Writing Wednesday and Fun Friday! 

The best digital nomads dedicate the appropriate time to getting things done. This could include dividing up your day. For instance on my Marketing Monday, I check my emails for the first hour, then I do 2 hours marketing, then lunch. After lunch, I might have the afternoon to myself or do some writing and then dinner. Which ever strategy you choose, try to stick to it – and if it doesn’t work, change it!

3. Take Your Time Travelling

That’s right, take your time travelling. If you go too fast, like seeing 10 cities in 10 days you will find you may not have the time to fit in your work. Actually, I know you won’t have the time. And burnout is on the cards. Consider spending weeks or longer in the one place. This way, you can immerse yourself in the destination and build productive habits to get your work done. And you will be able to set up your gear properly and have a productive working environment. It can become overwhelming working and travelling so slow down and take your time travelling.

4. Have the Appropriate Gear and Set-up To Be a Digital Nomad

Having the appropriate gear in the right set-up will help you be a digital nomad.

Be Happy in Your Home

When you work online, you need the right gear so you can deliver your work on time and at a high quality. This is why you need the appropriate gear so you have an office space that works for you. And where will your office space be? You need to be happy and comfortable where you are working otherwise it can be a challenge to succeed at being a digital nomad. So before your set up your gear ensure you are happy where you are. I know some digital nomads like to work in cafes (which I do sometimes) and others like co-working spaces however, I like to work in solitude. So when I am choosing accommodation, which I most find via Booking.com and Trusted Housesitters to work in, I look for certain things.

1. A desk or table to work at.
2. Heating and cooling so I have a comfortable environment.
3. Facilities to make a coffee or a meal when I want.
4. Good lighting and preferably a window to let in natural light.

The Right Gear

Depending on the work you do, gear varies. In order to succeed at nomad life, at the very minimum, I recommend having these items:

1. A good laptop. This is where you’re going to make your money. Choose one that runs fast and has all the programs that you need for work. I love my Apple Powerbook. I have recently purchased a screen extender so I can see and work on two things!
2. Laptop stand. One of the best things I have ever bought for my digital office is a laptop stand. It helps me whether I am working in bed, on the couch or at a table. I can easily adjust it so I can work comfortably as there is nothing worse than a sore back from not sitting at an ergonomic set-up.
3. A VPN. You’ll be using wifi from a wide variety of places around the world with many of them not secure. Get a VPN and protect yourself. I use Nord VPN. 
4. Range Extender. This can be a lifesaver as the wifi provided in your accommodation may not extend to all rooms. A plug-in range extender can help you get faster wifi.
5. Phone Data. Wifi outages are a frequent occurance unfortunately, so ensure you have data on your phone so you can use it as a hotspot. 
6. Headphones. Don’t get distracted working in cafes and co-working spaces, or when there’s construction going on next door. Pop on your headphones and listen to some chilled out music.

My first Apple Powerbook from the 1990s and my current Apple Laptop

5. Connect with Locals and Other Nomads

Being a single digital nomad can be a lonely existence. This is because you are a nomad and not staying in the one place for a long time, so friendships and relationships come and go! To combat any loneliness get out and about. Go meet locals and other travellers and network with other digital nomads. Connecting with people regularly can help keep you mentally stimulated. This may be a little different in you’re a couple of digital nomads, but even couples enjoy other people’s company!

If you are finding it hard to find connections check out sites such as Coworker.com which is a great place to find co-working spaces. Or Meetup.com which offers the chance to meet up with other digital nomads. Or stay in places like hostels to keep connecting with people. You may even get more work from these connections!

6. Check the Time Difference

Most people who decide to become digital nomads are coming from a job where they worked set hours, typically office hours of 9am – 5pm. One of the best things about nomad life is you can choose the time of day you want to work. As you progress through setting up your online business you will work out when you are most productive. This could be in the morning, afternoon, evening, late at night or even overnight! Once you know what works best for you, you can do your work when you are most productive. 

However, if your digital nomad lifestyle involves you teaching English online or requires meetings with other people, ensure to keep in mind any time differences. There is nothing worse than having to wake at 3am to undertake a lesson or to take a conference call! However, you never know where you will be when travelling so ensure you know what you are letting yourself in for. There might be times when you will need to communicate at ungodly hours however, I would let your clients know when they can expect a reply. I suggest, you work on their time, not yours. There is nothing worse being a client and waiting on work to arrive. You can use apps such as Time Zone Converter to work out times in different cities.

For me, I work best in the morning, then again late afternoon/early evening then again, late at night. In between these times, I do other things – sightsee, visit a coffee shop and just ensure I have a good work / life balance.

7. Purchase Travel Insurance

I never leave home without travel insurance. Depending on where I am going, and what I am doing influences the travel insurance policy I purchase. I’ve had a number of mishaps (lost and stolen luggage), and sickness and injuries (sprained ankle after a fall), so I know how beneficial it is to have. 

As I mentioned, it depends where I am going as to what policy I purchase. If I am going for a two week adventure I usually take out insurance with WoldNomads. However, if I am travelling for an extended time and taking my digital nomad equipment I go with Safety Wing as they have travel insurance and expat insurance policies for long-term travellers. Their policies are geared to those working online and travelling.

And I have needed to make claims on my travel insurance. There was the time, my backpack was stolen and I lost all my gear. Another time, my dad died and I flew home for the funeral. I’ve been sick and couldn’t get out of bed to catch my flight and another time I fell over on some slippery blue stones and sprained my wrist. Each time, travel insurance has come to the rescue. 

Before you take out any travel insurance, do your research and make sure to ask your insurance provider numerous questions so you know what you’re covered for – and not covered for.

8. Don’t Forget to Log Off and Enjoy Yourself

When I first started, I found it hard to work out when to log off from my screen and enjoy myself. I was so involved with growing my travel writing and online business that I put work first. It was nothing for me to be lying in bed checking emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night. My health began to suffer as I wasn’t eating properly or exercising. Which when I look back, I was in exotic and exciting cities or in a resort area with pristine beaches and I was in my room, working. I soon realised, I could easily have stayed home and done this! So I changed things, I stick to my calendar of work and once I have completed the task/s for the day. I now log off and enjoy the vibrant cities or the beach side resort that I am in. Because this is the digital nomad work / life balance I want being able to work when I want and slow travel.

9. Outsource

Lastly, on my list of mastering your life as a digital nomad I suggest one of the best things I have done as a digital nomad – outsource work. It took me a long time to actually do this as I felt I didn’t have enough work for someone else. Plus, I found it hard to let go because I felt no-one else could do my work as good as me. But when you are swamped and don’t know which way to turn, outsourcing some of your jobs, particularly the ones I’m not great at, will help you get on top of your work/life balance that as a digital nomad we crave. 

I should make the point here that sometimes you need to invest in your business to enable it to grow and to make money. So I invest in outsourcing tasks that I need help with. For instance, I have a Pinterest whiz who designs and schedules my pins. I also have a VA (Virtual Assistant) who writes my newsletters. Having them lets me concentrate on other things, particularly those things I am good at, like the writing!

Final Thoughts of Mastering Digital Nomad Life

These are my 9 tips for mastering life as a digital nomad. If you are already a digital nomad roaming the world and working online I’m sure you will have encountered these issues. And if you are starting out, these are things to consider. Hopefully the ideas and tips in this post provide you with ways to succeed and thrive at being a digital nomad. I am sure you will find some of your own digital nomad issues as you work and travel the world, so I would love to hear them in the comments following.